Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Cross media topics are kind of a novelty unto themselves. How many TV shows can you name that are about radio, even tangentially? There was WKRP In Cincinatti, Newsradio, and Frasier. I think that's it. Radio returns the favor a bit as well: TV Confidential, and TV Time Machine on 1170 KCBQ-AM. Print media does one better, analyzing and examining the historical record of everything, Radio, TV and itself. But largely radio magazines died out in the 1930s and 1940s. Sure Radio World, Radio Ink and Radio Magazine are still published regularly but those are trade magazines. They're not in general circulation. there are a coupel irregular Ham mags out there too but I've found only one 'zine.

Zines are hard to define. They are generally self-published works, though they often have multiple contributors. They fill a narrow market niche, and are usually reproduced on a photocopier.Circulation is small by definition. According to issue #4 of the zine Paper Radio, only 100 copies of each issue were printed. That's real micro publishing. I bought mine at Ms. Valerie Park Distro out of Olympia, WA. The zine itself is based in Warner, New Hampshire, and published by DJ Fredrick.

Paper radio is about the art and history of radio. Issue # 8 reads in plain language "The goal of Paper Radio is to help readers connect and reconnect with radio. Unlike other mediums, radio sparks the imagination, it paints scenes with sound..." Topics include pirate radio, shortwave (WCBQ, CHU, WWCR, WRMI), pirate shortwave, DX'ing and in the few issues I have, they cover a slew of small local radio stations WNEC, KPFA, KMUD, KENC, WRKU, and WFEA-AM. More here.

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